Australia Day awards recognise volunteers

Locals Jo-Louise Brown (Bossie Mitchell Services to the Community Award) and Ben Broughton (Citizen of the Year) were presented with their Australia Day awards by ambassador Clyde Campbell and mayor Lilliane Brady at the Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool last Thursday.

Locals who have given freely of their time and skills to make Cobar a better community to live in have been honoured with Australia Day awards.

At this year’s Australia Day awards ceremony on Thursday at the Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool, locals heard about the work that Citizen of the Year—Ben Broughton, Young Citizen of the Year—Owen Potter, Bossie Mitchell Services to the Community award winner—Jo-Louise Brown and Community Event of the Year organisers—Cobar Youth Council have done in our community over the past year.

Ben was awarded the Citizen of the Year award in recognition of his donation of time and the services of his excavation and earthmoving business to the Cobar Miners Race Club, to the Cobar Cemetery restoration project and to the relocation of historic mining equipment to the museum.

Ben also helps out with junior cricket and junior soccer and is always willing to put his hand up to help anyone in the community.

Other nominees for the Citizen of the Year award were RSL Sub Branch Cobar President Ben Hewlett, ROAR founder Leah Josephson, youth centre manager Narelle Kriz and disability support worker Myshelle Gillette.

Cobar High School captain and vice president of the Cobar Tennis Club, Owen Potter was named Young Citizen of the Year.

Over the past year Owen has helped to re-vitalise the tennis club and has also volunteered his time to the Cobar Youth Council and a range of school committees.

Other Young Citizen of the Year nominees included PP’s Organisation secretary Jaymee Manns and RFS volunteer Thomas Jones.

For her voluntary work with the Cobar Auto Club, the PPs Organisation, the Mayoral Chest and Senior’s Week activities, Jo-Louise Brown was presented with the Bossie Mitchell Services to the Community Award.

The 2016 Peaks of Colour Fun Run coordinated and run by the Cobar Youth Council was named the Community Event of the Year.

Last year’s fun run, on October 29 was a big draw card on the Festival of the Miner’s Ghost program and attracted 390 competitors of all ages.

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